Crawford has plenty of room to grow as a football player

The native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, launched his football career in the ninth grade after focusing on basketball instead of hockey as a youth.

“I never got into hockey much,” the former Boise State defensive end said. “Definitely hoop dreams. I thought I was that good.”

It wasn’t until he was a junior at a Catholic high school that he started to think he was good enough to play football in college.

After two years at a California junior college, he started thinking about the NFL and transferred to Boise State.

“I definitely consider myself a student of the game,” Crawford said. “I’m definitely going to go into the meeting room to learn a lot from the veterans and just learn a lot from the coaches and try to get better every day.”

The Cowboys are counting on it happening.

“The thing we like most is his potential but more than that his motor, the way he plays,” Garrett said. “He’s a high energy guy, very active…Just love his demeanor he plays with.”

The first step in helping Crawford realize his potential is to add some bulk to his 6-foot-4, 280-pound frame. Garrett said he expects Crawford to play in the 290s as a 3-4 defensive end. For now, they view him as a situational pass rusher.

“I get to the quarterback,” said Crawford, who notched 13.5 sacks in two years as BSU. “I find a way to get to the quarterback if it’s power or good technique. I’ve been working on that also. I’m good at stopping the run.”